When I was growing up, my family always had an artificial Christmas tree. I thought it was small, and other than the lights, there wasn’t anything special about it. But the family of my childhood best friend always got a HUGE, real tree. They placed it in the basement, and I loved hanging out there. Seeing the massive tree and breathing in the fresh pine scent was magical to me.
As I went off to college and first apartments, I’m grateful for roommates who indulged my need for a real tree. In my last year of college, we rented a small house with vaulted ceilings. I had to have the largest tree on the lot. It was so big that when the man working the lot saw that we had a Honda Accord to get it back home, he loaned me his truck. It cost so much that we could only afford to buy ribbons to decorate it with.
After college, my next set of roommates also happily went along. We had an adventure getting a tree home and up the steps to our second-floor apartment. It was so tall we had to stand on barstools to decorate it.
I got married, and after our first child was born, we bought a house with vaulted ceilings. I knew a large tree would look great in front of the windows at the back of the room. And it did. A few years later, we divorced, and I eventually moved from a real tree to a large fake one. That tree reached its limit a few years ago, and I bought a new one.
The new one was small. I honestly don’t know why I picked that size. Maybe it was the price? Maybe it would be easier to put together? Regardless, I spent the next two Christmases enjoying the tree. But it looked miniature in the spot where I used to put up a large tree, and I wondered what had prompted me to buy one that size.
Then, we decided to move, and I chose to downsize. The smaller tree was the perfect size for the condo, and after the Christmas season, it fits perfectly in the storage closet. As I put up the tree last Saturday, I marveled at something that didn’t make sense to me when I purchased it but made perfect sense in our new home.
We lived in our old home for 17 years. I never thought it would be that long. When a repair person came out to fix something, they always asked, “How long do you plan to be here?” My answer was always, “I don’t know.” I honestly didn’t know. As my first child graduated and moved to college, the house started to feel too big. I started praying God would show me where we were supposed to be.
Two years later, we moved unexpectedly. It came with much change, but I knew God was leading us. Each year, as I put the Christmas tree up, it reminds me of all the ways God goes before us. He’s always leading and guiding us.
That reminder gives me His Peace and assurance in this life and Hope for the one that is to come.
God, thank you for sending your son, Jesus, to live among us so that we may live. Please keep our eyes open for you and help us rejoice and remember the Joy, Awe, and Wonder of Christmas in Christ’s birth. Amen
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